Selvage guide and break-out preventor for knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A knitting machine with a one way roller bearing on the fabric after it leaves the needles to prevent selvage break-outs and to aid in guiding the fabric to the take-up roll.

United States Patent 11 1 Lesley Aug. 19, 197 5 [54] SELVAGE GUIDE AND BREAK-OUT 2,276,790 3/1942 Palmer 139/307 PREVENTOR FOR KNITTING MACHINES 2,276,791 3/1942 Palmer 139/304 2,769,324 11/1956 Noe 66/149 R [75] In nt Bascum y, Plckens, 2,870,618 1 1959 Zeruneith 66/152 Assigneez Deering Mmiken Research 2,959,948 11/1960 Porter 66/149 R X COPPOYafiOH spananbvrg, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [221 Filed: Dec. 10, 1973 1,911,855 10/1969 Germany 66/149 R 14,238 1887 United Kingdom 66/151 [211 PP 423,022 1,194,326 6/1970 United Kingdom 66/153 Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Set. N01 100,184, Dec. 21, 1970, Primary Exa inerR0bert R. Mackey abandoned. Attorney, Agent, or FirmEarle R. Marden; H.

William Petry [52] US. Cl 66/149 R; 26/65; 139/294; 139/ 307 51 1111. 01. D048 27/34 [571 ABSTRACT [58] Field Of Search 26/65; 66/147, 149, 151, A knitting machine with a one way toner bearing on 615/152 149 R; 139/294 307 the fabric after it leaves the needles to prevent selvage break-outs and to aid in guiding the fabric to the take- [56] References Cited up rolL UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,219 12/1903 Santmyers 66/149 R 1 Clam" 5 D'awmg F'gures PATENTED Aw 9191s sum 1 05 2 INVENTOR. BASCUM G. LESLEY M Z. W

ATTORNEY PATENTED 9M5 3,899,901

SHEET 2 UP 2 INVENTOR. BASCUM G. LESLEY MQ-W ATTORNEY SELVAGE GUIDE AND BREAK-OUT FREVENTOR FOR KNITTING MACHINES This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 100,184, filed Dec. 21, 1970, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to a knitting machine producing knit fabrics and more specifically to warp knitting machines producing elastic warp knit fabrics.

Prior to this invention knit fabrics and especially elastic warp knit fabrics had a tendency to neck-in between the needle bed and the take-up roll. Furthermore, excessive selvage break-outs occurred in the selvage adjacent the needle bed due to the pull-back action of the needle on the next knitting stroke causing excess pull on the knit fabric.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a knitting machine having apparatus to alleviate necking-in of the fabric after being knit and to reduce the occurrence of selvage break-outs adjacent the needles.

Other objects and advantages will be clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a left hand schematic view of the new and improved knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the knitting machine in the area where the fabric is leaving the needles;

FIG. 3 is a blown-up perspective view of the preferred fabric selvage edge guide;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective blown-up view of a modified fabric selvage guide.

Looking now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional warp knitting machine is shown modified in a manner hereinafter described. Warp yarn 12 is supplied to needle bar 14 for knitting into knit fabric 16 from warp beam 18 successively over guide bars 20, 24, 26 and 28. The knit fabric 16 is delivered from needle bar 14 to the cloth roll 30 passing successively under the oneway roller 22 and the quality roller 23, around the tension roller 25 and quality roller 27 and then directed downward over the guide roller 29 to the take-up roll 30.

Looking at FIG. l, the knitting operation is only schematically represented since the particular knitting operation is not part of the invention. Guide bars 34 (actuated through suitable linkage not shown) cooperates with needle bar I4 to form the knitted fabric 16. Needle bar 14 is carried in arms 36 which are fastened in a rocker shaft 38. Needle bar 14 is driven by pushrod 40 which is driven by suitable drive linkage (not shown). The drive for the cloth roll 30, needle bar 14 and the warp beam 18 can be from the same main drive through suitable gearing or the drive for each can be separate if desired.

The selvage guide roller 22 is driven by another similar roller 42 which in turn is driven by the quality roller 23. Roll 23 is a conventional quality roller found on most Raschel knitting machines and is driven through suitable gears and/or belts from the drive for the takeup roll 30. The selvage guide roller 22 and the roller 42 are rotably mounted on shafts 44 and 46, respectively, one of which is secured by suitable set screw 48 to a block member 50 which is slidably mounted to plate member 52 by bolts 54. Plate member 52 is secured to another plate 56 by means of screws 58 so that the rollers 22 and 42 will be properly mounted in position when the plate 56 is mounted to the frame 59 of the knitting machine by the screws 60.

- Both of the rollers 22 and 42 are of the one way type roller which will rotate in only the direction indicated.

The rollers 22 and 42 basically consist of a Torrington drawn cup clutch 62, commercially available from The Torrington Company, Torrington, Connecticut, telescoped over the shafts 44 and 46 and covered by a suitable material, such as rubber 64 to provide an efficient rolling surface to provide good frictional contact. As described, the clutches 62 are of the type which rotate in the direction indicated but not in the opposite direction. A spring C clamp 66 is secured in a suitable notch near the end of the shafts 44 and 46 to prevent the clutches 62 from slipping off the end of the shafts.

In operation the plate 56 is mounted to the knitting machine frame 59 so that the roller 22 bears against the knit fabric and the roller 42 bears against the quality roller 23 and is driven thereby. The roller 42 in turn drives the roller 22 to positively pull the fabric l6 away from the needles l4 and at the same time maintain the width of the fabric to prevent necking-in of the fabric as indicated in phantom lines 70 in FIG. 2. The use of the one way roller 22 prevents the pull-back of the fabric by the needles on the next knitting stroke and provides for a more even take-up of the fabric 16.

FIGS. 4 and 5 represent a modification of the appara tus shown in FIGS. 1-3 in that only one one way roller 72 is used to guide the fabric. In this form of the invention the one way roller acts basically as a selvage guide roller since it is not positively driven.

The one way roller 72 of FIGS. 4 and 5 has the same roller construction of that in FIGS. l3 and is telescoped over a shaft 74 adjustably held in a collar 76 by set screws 78. Collar 76 is welded or otherwise secured to a plate member 80 which is mounted to the frame 59 of the knitting machine.

In both forms of the invention it is preferred to use one way rollers on both sides of the knitting machine in order to provide good control of the fabric and it can be seen that such control will prevent the necking-in problem indicated by the phantom lines 70.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiments of the invention, I contemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention and I desire to be limited only by the claims.

That which is claimed is:

l. A knitting machine comprising: needle means knitting yarn into fabric, fabric take-up means taking up the knit fabric, a first elongated roll means mounted on said knitting machine between said needle means and said take-up means to guide fabric from said needle means to said take-up means, a first pair of rolls each substantially shorter in length than said first elongated roll means and in nip forming relationship mounted between said means knitting yarn and said first elongated roll means with one roll of said pair of rolls being in engagement with one of the ends of said first elongated roll means, a second pair of rolls each substantially shorter in length than said first elongated roll means and in nip forming relationship mounted between said means knitting yarn and said first elongated roll means with one roll of said second pair of rolls being in engagement with the other end of said first elongated roll means, each of said rolls of said pairs of rolls having means to allow rotation in only one direction with the gagement with said elongated roll means to rotate in a direction to guide the fabric under said first and second pairs of rolls and said elongated roll means to said fabric take-up means. 

1. A knitting machine comprising: needle means knitting yarn into fabric, fabric take-up means taking up the knit fabric, a first elongated roll means mounted on said knitting machine between said needle means and said take-up means to guide fabric from said needle means to said take-up means, a first pair of rolls each substantially shorter in length than said first elongated roll means and in nip forming relationship mounted between said means knitting yarn and said first elongated roll means with one roll of said pair of rolls being in engagement with one of the ends of said first elongated roll means, a second pair of rolls each substantially shorter in length than said first elongated roll means and in nip forming relationship mounted between said means knitting yarn and said first elongated roll means with one roll of said second pair of rolls being in engagement with the other end of said first elongated roll means, each of said rolls of said pairs of rolls having means to allow rotation in only one direction with the roll of said pairs of rolls not in engagement with said first elongated roll being adapted to contact the fabric being knit to prevent said needle means from jerking the knit fabric back towaRd said needle means, and means to drive said elongated rolls means to cause said each one roll of said first and second pairs of rolls in engagement with said elongated roll means to rotate in a direction to guide the fabric under said first and second pairs of rolls and said elongated roll means to said fabric take-up means. 